Ultrasonic plate waves in wood-based composite panels

Two key shortcomings of current ultrasonic nondestructive evaluation (NDE) techniques for plywood, medium density fiberboard (MDF), and oriented strandboard are the reliance on empirical correlations and the neglect of valuable waveform information. The research reported herein examined the feasibility of using fundamental physical relationships along with advanced signal analysis to evaluate material properties and locate defects in wood-based composite panels. Dispersion curves were constructed exhibiting the variation of ultrasonic flexural plate wave phase velocity with frequency. Based on shear deformation plate wave theory, flexural and transverse shear rigidity values for a variety of wood-based composite panels were obtained from the dispersion curves. Axial rigidity values were obtained directly from extensional plate wave phase velocity. Excellent agreement (within 5%) of flexural rigidity values was obtained between NDE and mechanical testing for thin panels (less than or equal to 6.4 mm). Transverse shear rigidity values were obtained from NDE, but no reliable mechanical results were obtained for comparison. Tensile and compressive axial rigidity values obtained from NDE were from 12% to 31% and from 22% to 41% higher than mechanical tension and compression test results, respectively. These differences between NDE and axial mechanical testing results are likely due to load-rate effects. Nondestructive rigidity results for thicker panels using the setup described herein were either unreliable or not interpretable due to highly attenuated signals and/or violation of plate wave assumptions. Shear deformation laminated plate theory was used to predict flexural and axial laminate rigidity values of wood-based laminates from NDE measurements to within 3% and 25%, respectively. Plate wave NDE was also used to successfully locate a 60-mm square delaminated area within a 6.4-mm thick MDF laminate. This fundamental research advances the state-of-the-art of wood-based NDE by replacing empirical techniques with a technique based on fundamental mechanics, shear deformation laminated plate theory, and plate wave propagation theory.